Submission to the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training, Skills, and Development regarding the Poor Outdoor Air Quality and Workplace Health and Safety Consultation

Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers

September 18, 2023

Introduction:

We thank the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training, Skills, and Development (MLITSD or Ministry) for the opportunity to respond to the “Poor Outdoor Air Quality And Workplace Health And Safety Consultation”. As per our mandate, the Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (OHCOW) strives to prevent occupational disease by primary, secondary and tertiary prevention (preventing harmful exposures, screening for early signs of occupational disease and recognizing cases of work‐related disease). Therefore, we submit the following response to the Ministry’s invitation.

The Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers Inc. (OHCOW) is a team of health professionals commitied to promoting the highest degree of physical, mental, and social well‐being for workers at work. At seven clinics in Ontario, a team of nurses, occupational hygienists, ergonomists, and physicians see Ontario workers to identify work‐related illness and injuries, promote awareness of health and safety issues, and develop preven􀆟on strategies. First established in 1989, the clinics have seen thousands of individual patients and visited hundreds of workplaces helping to identify unhealthy and unsafe conditions and providing advice to workplace par􀆟es on the prevention of occupational diseases. With respect to wildfire smoke, OHCOW deals directly with Joint Health and Safety Commitiees (JHSCs), Health and Safety Reps, unions, employers, individual workers, and others, answering questions and providing prevention advice.